Faith, Hope, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards

Among the more interesting nominations: Star Faith Prince is up for Bells Are Ringing despite extremely disappointing notices for that show, which itself received an Outer Critics nomination in the Revival of a Musical category. Some or all of the Off-Broadway musical nominees– Bat Boy, newyorkers, Pete ‘n’ Keely, and Suburb–might be considered unworthy by a certain percentage of discriminating theatergoers. And the troubled Broadway musical Seussical failed to receive a single nomination. (The Outer Critics have no equivalent of a “Best Score” category, so the nominators had no way to specifically recognize the contributions of composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens; but people who’ve seen the show might have expected featured performers Janine LaManna and/or Michele Pawk to be nominated.) Gary Sinise was not recognized for his work in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Edward Albee‘s The Play About The Baby is not among the Off-Broadway play nominees. (Note to fans of Charles Busch‘s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife: That show was considered by the Outer Critics last year and, in fact, won the John Gassner Playwriting Award. )

The winners of the awards, which recognize achievement both on and Off-Broadway, will be announced on April 30; the awards will be presented in a ceremony on May 24 at Sardi’s. The Outer Critics Circle consists of journalists who write about New York theater for media outlets outside of New York City. A complete list of the nominees follows:

2001 OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD NOMINEES

Outstanding Broadway Play:
Judgment at Nuremberg
Proof
Stones in His Pockets
The Invention of Love

Outstanding Off-Broadway Play:
Comic Potential
Jitney
Lobby Hero
Ten Unknowns

Outstanding Revival of a Play:
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Juno and the Paycock
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Man Who Came to Dinner

Outstanding Actor in a Play:
Richard Easton (The Invention of Love)
George Grizzard (Judgment at Nuremberg)
Brian Stokes Mitchell (King Hedley II)
Donald Sutherland (Ten Unknowns)

Outstanding Actress in a Play:
Eileen Atkins (The Unexpected Man)
Juliette Binoche (Betrayal)
Mary-Louise Parker (Proof)
Marian Seldes (The Play About the Baby)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:
Larry Bryggman (Proof)
Charles Durning (Gore Vidal’s The Best Man)
Justin Kirk (Ten Unknowns)
Robert Sean Leonard (The Invention of Love)

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:
Viola Davis (King Hedley II)
Marthe Keller (Judgment at Nuremberg)
Michael Learned (Gore Vidal’s The Best Man)
Leslie Uggams (King Hedley II)

Outstanding Director of a Play:
Ian McElhinney (Stones in His Pockets)
Jack O’Brien (The Invention of Love)
Daniel Sullivan (Proof)
John Tillinger (Judgment at Nuremberg)

Outstanding Broadway Musical:
A Class Act
Jane Eyre
The Full Monty
The Producers

Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical:
Bat Boy The Musical
newyorkers
Pete ‘N’ Keely
Suburb

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:
Bells Are Ringing
Follies
42nd Street
The Rocky Horror Show

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:
Matthew Broderick (The Producers)
Michael Cumpsty (42nd Street)
Nathan Lane (The Producers)
Patrick Wilson (The Full Monty)

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:
Christine Ebersole (42nd Street)
Randy Graff (A Class Act)
Faith Prince (Bells Are Ringing)
Marla Schaffel (Jane Eyre)

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:
Gary Beach (The Producers
Andre De Shields (The Full Monty)
David Elder (42nd Street)
John Ellison Conlee (The Full Monty)

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:
Kathleen Freeman (The Full Monty)
Cady Huffman (The Producers)
Kate Levering (42nd Street)
Mary Testa (42nd Street)

Outstanding Director of a Musical:
Christopher Ashley (The Rocky Horror Show)
Mark Bramble (42nd Street)
Jack O’Brien (The Full Monty)
Susan Stroman (The Producers)

Outstanding Choreography:
Kathleen Marshall (Follies)
Jerry Mitchell (The Full Monty)
Randy Skinner (42nd Street)
Susan Stroman (The Producers)

Outstanding Scenic Design:
Bob Crowley (The Invention of Love)
Heidi Ettinger (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
Douglas W. Schmidt (42nd Street)
Robin Wagner (The Producers)

Outstanding Costume Design:
Theoni V. Aldredge (Follies)
Roger Kirk (42nd Street)
William Ivey Long (The Producers)
Andreane Neofitou (Jane Eyre)

Outstanding Lighting Design:
Paul Gallo (42nd Street)
Peter Kaczorowski (The Producers)
Brian MacDevitt (The Invention of Love)
Kenneth Posner (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)

Outstanding Solo Performance:
Tovah Feldshuh (Tallulah Hallelujah!)
Pamela Gien (The Syringa Tree)
Bill Irwin (Texts for Nothing)
Brian d’Arcy James (The Good Thief)

John Gassner Playwriting Award:
David Auburn (Proof)
Pamela Gien (The Syringa Tree)
Rebecca Gilman (Boy Gets Girl)
Kenneth Lonergan (Lobby Hero)

Special Achievement Award Recipients:
Sean Campion and Conleth Hill of Stones in His Pockets
Reba McEntire of Annie Get Your Gun
The ensemble cast of The Dinner Party (Henry Winkler, John Ritter, Len Cariou, Penny Fuller, Veanne Cox, and Jan Maxwell)